"Uncorrect" English!

It seems to me that the prefix "un-" is being used improperly a lot. "Un-" should be used to indicate a kind of "reverse" process in which something is returned to a former state of existence. For example:

• If you tie your shoe laces, you can untie them.


• If a door has been locked and you have the key, you can unlock the door.


• In general, if you can talk about doing something, then you can talk about undoing it.

In contrast, prefixes like "non-", "im-", etc. should be used to indicate the notion of "not". For example:

• If someone is immature, they are not mature.


• A non-smoker is someone who does not smoke.


• If something is inappropriate, it is not appropriate.

and so on.

But these two quite distinct concepts ("reverse" vs. "not") have somehow gotten confused in the present-day English language. For example, we often hear expressions like:

• "Seven-Up is the Un-Cola!" (Does that mean that it used to be a cola, but now it no longer is?)


• "I am totally unfamiliar with computer programming." (Does that mean that you used to be familiar with it, but have now forgotten everything that you once knew?)


• "The statement: 'Two plus two equals five' is untrue." (Is it really possible that two plus two did equal five at one time!?)


• "Some things are better left unsaid." (How does someone "unsay" something? Do they somehow suck their words back into their mouth?)


• "Uncooked vegetables contain more vitamins than cooked ones." (Uncooked?) [Well... I think you get the picture by now.]

Yeah, yeah... I realize that all of these expressions are considered to be examples of proper and correct English. And that's why we need to start thinking about "uncorrecting" English!  :-)